


A Brother's Dream

by ijustwantacue



Series: The Three Little Kings [8]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Brothers, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 20:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15251661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ijustwantacue/pseuds/ijustwantacue
Summary: Mark doesn't know what he wants in life. Who knew Bambam does?





	A Brother's Dream

Mark can’t remember how many times he sighed throughout his walk home. It’s not like him to be this frustrated, but Miss Lee can bring out the strangest emotions of people. He witnessed some of his classmates find their hidden parental instincts, when they had a project where they have to take care of the kids in the neighbourhood. It didn’t happen to him though; he just found great companionship with Jaebeom’s brother, Youngjae, and the puppy he brought, Coco. But emotion? No, Mark Tuan is still too cool for things like that.

Except today, when Miss Lee called him to the faculty to discuss his college plans or the lack of it. The meeting awoken his ability to be frustrated.

Mark doesn’t know what to do with the future. He couldn’t care less. He’s not particularly interested in any subject at school. He didn’t join any clubs. Mark Tuan is living a plain, boring life and no one can make him plan differently.

Well, maybe Miss Lee.

Mark enters their house and absentmindedly throws his bag at the sofa.

“Ow,” a small voice says, making Mark double take.

Bambam is holding his arm, where Mark’s bag landed. The younger boy’s expression is more of surprised than hurt though, mirroring Mark’s.

“What are you doing here?” Mark asks in pure wonder. His brother is usually still out with his friends at this hour.

Bambam, though, interprets this as Mark’s way of telling him that his presence is unwanted. “Sorry, hyung. I just got hungry so I went home and looked for food.”

“I thought your friends feed you a lot that’s why you told me not to bother leaving food for you?”

Bambam looks away. He only said that because he once found Mark muttering curses while cooking. He figured his older brother finds it a burden. “I always ask them for food. I’m getting embarrassed now.”

Mark’s brows furrow. He knows his brother’s reputation as the playground king. What could’ve made him shy? But it’s not like he should pry with someone else’s life so Mark decides not to ask. Instead he wonders, “So have you eaten?”

“No… I couldn’t open the fridge, much more reach the shelves.”

Mark nods in understanding. It was made that way so Bambam won’t reach anything with sugar and end up too hyper. But he’s sure his brother can open the cabinets under the counter. There are jars of food there.

Mark looks at the table and finds the jars he’s thinking of. “Why are all the jars outside?”

Bambam flushes red. “I… I tried opening each of them but they’re too tight.”

“…You couldn’t open even just one of them?”

Bambam nods miserably, and his stomach makes a noise of confirmation.

“I’ll cook right away. Do you want anything specific?”

“No, hyung! I’m okay!” Bambam quickly stands up. He walks past Mark and onto the table. “Maybe you can open one of these jars. I’ll just eat them before dinner gets ready. You don’t have to cook.”

Mark stares at his brother. Why are they so distant, to the point that Bambam chooses to starve himself instead of asking Mark to cook? Did Mark do something to make Bambam fear him?

* * *

The next day is Saturday so Mark has two days to think before facing Miss Lee again. He can just write something, anything, he knows that, but even if he gets through this requirement, he would have to really decide what path he’ll take after graduation.

The doorbell rings and he knows who he will find on the other side.

“Hi Mark-hyung!” Yugyeom and Youngjae chorus, their smiles as bright as the sun above.

“You know the drill,” Mark says and moves aside to let the kids run to Bambam’s room.

Mark watches as they knock on Bambam’s door. Youngjae jokingly called for Elsa, and Yugyeom duets with him to ask if Bambam wants to build a snowman. Mark finds himself smiling. He wonders how fun it must be to bond with his brother over those silly things.

But he can’t even decide for himself, how can he spend time trying to be closer with his brother?

Bambam opens the door while rubbing his eyes. Mark played a game until 2 in the morning so he knows that Bambam stayed up past his usual sleeping time. He just didn’t bother to peek at his brother’s room, afraid to invade privacy.

“Bambam! It’s morning already! Why are your eyes not open?” Youngjae ask with a bit of worry.

“I stayed up late planning for today,” is all Mark hears before Bambam pulls his friends for their usual secret meeting.

* * *

“You want me to walk you around town?” Mark repeats.

Yugyeom and Youngjae nods eagerly, while Bambam looks away to do that.

“Why? Haven’t your hyungs taken you to the plaza or somewhere you want?”

“No, Mark-hyung! It has to be you! We need to know which shop you like!” Yugyeom insists.

“What shop I like…?”

“It’s for your birthday! We’ll be buying presents for you!”

“Huh? Didn’t Bambam say it’s for the collage paper–”

“Shh!” Yugyeom and Bambam covers Youngjae’s mouth with each of their hands.

“Collage paper?” Mark asks.

“Uh… collage is pictures, right? Jaebeom-hyung told us about it. We’ll take a picture of everything you like and give them to you as present!” quick-witted Yugyeom comes up. Thankfully, Youngjae messed up pronuncing ‘college’ so he found a believable explanation.

Mark can’t help but be confused. “Why are you covering Youngjae’s mouth if you’re gonna tell me about it anyway?”

“Uh…” Yugyeom looks at Bambam. How are they going to explain that?

“Because Youngjae hasn’t brushed his teeth yet!” Bambam reasons.

Youngjae pushes the hands away. “I did! Jaebeom-hyung wouldn’t let me leave if I don’t brush my teeth! He likes teeth!”

Everyone shares a confused look. What are they supposed to do with that information?

“So are you coming with us, Mark-hyung?” Yugyeom brings back the topic.

“It’s not like I can let you kids go by yourselves. Will you ride on your bikes or just walk?” Mark directs the question to his brother. Bambam is obsessed with his bike.

“No, we’ll walk and stop at every shop,” Bambam says.

Mark wants to find out what this is all about. Why would his brother leave his precious bike just to walk with him?

* * *

Mark still doesn’t understand what this is all about.

For hours, they go in every shop. He is expecting the kids to ask what service or goods he likes but instead, it’s kind of the opposite. At a barber shop, the kids ask if Mark likes cutting hairs, not what haircut he likes. At a pet store, they ask if Mark likes taking care of pets, not what his favourite animal is. It goes on until it’s lunch time. They’ve covered half of the plaza already, so Mark sits the kids on a bench by the fountain and buy food at the stalls nearby.

They never really took a picture of anything. They don’t even have cameras. Well, Youngjae has one and is convinced it works, but Mark is pretty sure Jaebeom gave it to Youngjae so he won’t play with Jaebeom’s large camera. So how will they do the collage?

“Where’s Bambam?” he quickly asks the two other kids upon noticing that his brother isn’t where he’s supposed to be.

“He said he thinks he knows what you’ll like and started running to that direction,” Yugyeom says, pointing to the shops they haven’t gone yet.

“I told you to just stay right here,” Mark starts scolding but since the kids in front of him are the ones who did as told, he realises it’s no use. He sighs. He should’ve known not to accept this much responsibility. It brings out the impatience in him. “Yugyeom, Youngjae, do you know your brothers’ numbers? I should call them to accompany you here. I can’t keep my eyes to all three of you.”

“I have Jinyoung’s number in here,” Yugyeom takes something from under his shirt. It’s like a lunchbag tag attached to an ID lace.

> This thing is Yugyeom. If found, call me, Jinyoung, ****-***-****. I’ll deliver all his things to you. He’s yours now.

Mark turns to Youngjae. “What about you?”

“I remember Jaebeom-hyung’s number. I made a tune so I can memorise it!”

* * *

Mark calls Jinyoung first because he knows it will take long before he gets convinced to fetch his brother. Next is Jaebeom who will run a mile a minute to get his brother.

Jaebeom manages to arrives first. “Youngjae-ya!”

“Oh, hi Hyung!” Youngjae waves while still enjoying his crepe.

Jaebeom turns to Mark. “Why are you guys here?”

“I don’t know. They asked me to come with them.”

Jaebeom looks back to the two boys tasting each other’s crepe. “Where’s chicken boy?”

“Chicken boy?”

“I mean your brother,” Jaebeom corrects with a hint of embarrassment. It was out of habit.

“I don’t know. I’ll start looking for him once you’ve taken Youngjae and Jinyoung gets Yugyeom.”

Jaebeom’s eyebrows knit. “Jinyoung is coming?”

Mark shrugs. “I hope.”

Jaebeom doesn’t say anything but just grimaces. He was told that Jinyoung called him names behind his back. Ever since they’re kids, Jinyoung does things that make Jaebeom look bad.

And speak of the devil and he shall come.

“Jinyoung!” Yugyeom stands up and run to his hyung. Unlike a touching reunion though, Yugyeom welcomes him with a push. “It’s been twenty minutes since we called! The house is only ten minutes walk from here. Where were you?”

Jinyoung revenges by pushing Yugyeom’s forehead with an insulting finger. “I got carried away so I couldn’t come quickly. Don’t go scolding me like you’re older.”

“What were you doing?”

“Enjoying the time away from you.”

Mark smiles to himself. If only he can fight with Bambam like that. It’s so much better than being just housemates with him.

“Hey, we’re here now so go and find your own,” Jaebeom says, making Mark turn to him. He’s giving a worried gaze. “I don’t know why, but the boy thinks you don’t like him. There must be a reason why he told the other kids to invite you out even though he’s scared of you.”

“He’s scared of me?” This is news to Mark.

“Find him and ask,” Jaebeom says with a shrug before going to Youngjae.

* * *

Mark finds Bambam in front of an arcade game, arguing with the employee.

“Boy, if you don’t have money anymore, just go. Stop throwing tantrums,” the man patiently tells his angry customer.

“But this game cheated on me! I need to get that console because Mark-hyung is good at gaming! He needs to know it’s his future!”

Mark stops on his tracks. Everything starts making sense. Youngjae’s collage is actually college. Bambam probably found the application form on the bag Mark accidentally threw at him. The kids were taking him all around town so he can find a job that will interest him. And Bambam has found it. Even Mark himself didn’t realise that he has a passion for gaming.

Who knew his brother knows him better than he knows himself? He feels ashamed to be of no use to Bambam. The boy was trying his best to help, but Mark completely thought it’s just one of his usual outgoing ideas.

“Hyung!” Bambam’s surprised voice snaps Mark out of his thoughts. The younger is looking at him with a mixture of delight and panic.

Mark looks at the game attendant. “I’m sorry. Was he making a ruckus?”

“A bit. His tokens are already gone so now he’s trying to get the prize by yelling.”

Mark turns to Bambam who looks at him in fear. “Hyung! It really was cheating on me! I’ve pulled 10 strings but I didn’t get a single prize!”

“That’s because none of those strings are attached to the prize,” Mark explains. “Come on. Let’s go home. I already found out what I want to do.”

Bambam’s eyes go wide, realising that Mark has learned their plans and also because his hyung has found an ambition in life. “So what do you want to be, Mark-hyung?”

Mark smiles and takes his brother’s hand, the first time ever. He should’ve known what he needs to be–what he wanted to be but didn’t make an effort to be. “A better hyung.”


End file.
